A physical local area network (LAN) may include numerous network access devices (e.g., routers, switches, wireless access points, etc.) that communicate with one another (either directly or indirectly) to provide computing device(s) (e.g., laptops, smartphones, etc.) access to a wide area network (WAN). Thus, a network access device (NAD) is a piece of networking equipment, including hardware and software, which communicatively interconnects other equipment on the LAN (e.g., other network elements, computing devices). The WAN can include, for example, the Internet, where communication with the WAN is through an interface such as T1, T3, cable, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), wireless (e.g., mobile cell tower), or the like.
The one or more of the network access devices within the LAN that are the last of the network access devices before reaching the WAN (network access devices that are directly coupled to the WAN or directly coupled to an interface device—e.g., a DSL modem) act as a gateway to the WAN (act as a gateway node for the LAN) for other network access devices and network computing devices in the LAN; any network access devices that rely on (communicates with) one or more other network access devices to reach the WAN act as intermediate nodes of the LAN.
When deployed, a conventional network access device must include an Internet Protocol (IP) configuration that allows that network access device to establish a connection to a WAN (communicate with and across the WAN). Determining an IP configuration for a network access device acting as an intermediate node of the LAN may be more challenging because between such an intermediate node and the WAN are one or more other network access devices of the LAN that each have configurations that may impact connectivity to the WAN.
LANs are useful because they are highly customizable to fit the needs of a particular entity. For example, the physical LAN, itself, may be configured to include multiple virtual local area networks (VLANs). A VLAN is a group of network access devices which communicate as if they were attached to the same broadcast domain, regardless of their physical location. A VLAN may have the same attributes as a physical LAN, but allow network computing devices to be grouped together even if they are not directly connected to the same network access device.
Configuring network access devices typically requires manual configuration by an on-site network administrator, engineer, or technician. Also, changes to the access network (e.g., adding/removing network access devices, moving of equipment, regrouping of VLANs, etc.) may require configuration changes to one or more network access devices, which again must be performed on-site. Configuration of network access devices requires a trained network engineer and includes a number of error-prone steps. Incorrect configurations may cause the network access device to lose its connection to the WAN, which can lead to a network outage. Network outages can be difficult and expensive to troubleshoot and result in lost productivity.